WTH Mel??

[PolyHereWeCome]

after he gets out of rehab, he should make a visit to Auschwitz...and Yad Vashem...THEN it may be "over".

Or maybe just two statements:
1) The holocaust did occur
2) The Jews didn't kill Jesus

 

[Deb in IA]

I liked "Lethal Weapon" and "the Patriot" and that movie...I can't remember the title...the one with Helen Hunt, where he could read women's minds...

"What Women Want"

Funny, that movie was meant to show that Mel is not sexist, since he starts to understand what women are thinking.

Then, along with the anti-Semitic tirade, he makes crude remarks to a female officer.

Here's my take: I do think he is an alcoholic. He, in fact, admits it in an interview with Diane Sawyer, taped a few years ago. And there are documented accounts of his long history if getting into trouble, both publically and privately, with his drinking.

Secondly, I also think that deep down, he is a bigot and an anti-Semite. As people have pointed out, alcohol loosens your inhibitions. When you're drunk, you say and do things that your rational self would not, and you lose your social and moral compass.

Thirdly, while his apologies are eloquent and touching, I'm not convinced. I'm sure, given his resources, someone wrote them for him - or at least helped him edit them. Actions speak louder than words, and I'll wait to see what actions he does take, in regards to wanting to work with the Jewish community. But I hardly think Steven Spielberg will be making any movies with Mel anytime soon.

And finally, let's all remember that in this land of freedom, Mel has the right to be a Jew-hater, if he wants. Just like any one of us can have our own private prejudices, however offensive they may be.

But we also have the freedom to not watch his movies anymore.

 

[MorganLeFey]

Or maybe just two statements:
1) The holocaust did occur
2) The Jews didn't kill Jesus

that would be nice, wouldn't it?

 

[MorganLeFey]

And finally, let's all remember that in this land of freedom, Mel has the right to be a Jew-hater, if he wants. Just like any one of us can have our own private prejudices, however offensive they may be.

But we also have the freedom to not watch his movies anymore also.

Amen.

 

[cardaway]

Words are just words. I don't think it's looking for more, more, more to expect him to follow through with actions to support his words. I thought these quotes were right on:

If the apology is just words, so were the things he said earlier.

I certainly don't like the guy, or what he said, but these demands on what he must do are out of line IMO.

 

[StitchfansJr]

Mel did a movie screening of The Passion of The Christ at my church I attend, a couple of months before the movie came out in theaters. Regular attenders of our church were not allowed at the screening. Only a handful of church pastors and church staff were allowed to be there. Anyways, at the screening, Mel did a Q and A session about the movie. He also brought up about that he is bipolar. A friend of mine from church(who is also on staff at church) told me about this. Also, our pastor had shown a 5 min video clip at church, of part of the Q and A session with Mel,talking about the Passion of The Christ(the video clip was shown at church about the time the movie came out). Mel's hair was messy and disheveled, which I thought was a little strange .
Maybe Mel suffers from Bipolar disorder . He probably was in a manic state when he was arrested with the DUI. Probably not taking his meds I guess . Sounds like he has a lot of skeletons in his closet.
I hope he can get the help he needs. He is very gifted as a director and actor.

I wasn't aware that he suffered with the bipolar illness. I was aware he fought a drinking problem. He has two illnesses he has to battle. He messed up big time. I have always been a fan and will continue to be one. We all mess up at times. The only one he really hurt was himself from this relapse. I still think truely deep down he is a good man fighting his own demons. As others said he is also a very talented man too.

 

[Stitchfans]

The post just made wasn't Stitchfansjr. It was Stitchfans. DD didn't sign out of her acct. If any flaming is to be made it is Stitchfans. Not Jr.

 

[ford family]

I'm keeping him in my prayers and thoughts.

Post #116?
What kept you?
I've been waiting since #48.

ford family

 

[TheDoctor]

ABC has cancelled Mel's Holocaust miniseries. I had to wonder why they ever backed it in the first place.

At one point Disney/ABC was hoping to tap in the same market for the Passion movie for the Narnia Chronicles. Disney was hoping that the Narnia movie would appeal to the same base as Gibson's audience in the Passion. I understand that there was some private screenings of the trailer for the movie made to some of the same groups who pushed the Passion movie.

ABC may have greenlighted this miniseries in order to get some cooperation from Gibson.

 

[N.Bailey]

We know his father never believed the Holocaust ever took place, but Mel has repeatedly stated he does not agree with his father.

I don't know. I think perhaps he took a lot of backlash after making the Passion of the Christ, much of that came from the Jewish communities. Maybe his statements aren't so much that he's anti-Semite, but rather, he's holding a grudge that he's never had the opportunity to tell his side of the story? I don't know.

I'm not going to hold something against him that was said when he was so obviously intoxicated. I've been there a time or two myself and I would appreciate the same courtesy if I ever put my foot in my mouth while in that state.

He's apologized (as he should have) and unless I hear something more substantial that this wasn't just from his condition at the time, I'll change my mind. Till then, I won't be joining any boycott.

I am sorry to hear that he's still drinking though. I thought he was doing much better.

 

[roseprincess]

The post just made wasn't Stitchfansjr. It was Stitchfans. DD didn't sign out of her acct. If any flaming is to be made it is Stitchfans. Not Jr.

Hi Susan
OT: We are having Dis mini-meet this Saturday(DMM is organizing it). Check our Chicago Disers board for more info.

Sorry to go a little OT


Rosemarie

 

[Deb in IA]

I love the Andy Borowitz satire article:

Bin Laden Offers Gibson Anger Management Lessons
The Al Qaeda leader calls the actor's drunken rant 'a cry for help'.
The Al Qaeda leader calls the actor's drunken rant 'a cry for help'.
Web-exclusive Satire
By Andy Borowitz
Special to Newsweek
Updated: 11 minutes ago
Aug. 1, 2006 - In an extraordinary appearance on the Arabic-language Al-Jazeera network today, terror mastermind Osama bin Laden reached out to Mel Gibson and offered the Hollywood actor lessons in anger management.

Millions of viewers tuned in expecting to see the Al Qaeda leader in one of his trademark terror videos, only to find the world's most wanted man giving career advice instead.

Bin Laden said that while he did not know Gibson personally, he decided to offer his help after hearing about Gibson's anti-Semitic rant to an LAPD officer, which the Al Qaeda kingpin called "a cry for help."

"Listen, I'm all for blaming things on the Jews,” said bin Laden, “but this guy went too far."

The Al Qaeda leader said that the next time Gibson feels the urge to spew hateful rhetoric, "count to ten first."

"There's a time and a place for everything," bin Laden said. "And the time to launch into an anti-Semitic tirade is when you're speaking on Al-Jazeera from the comfort and safety of your cave — not when you're stopped by the cops."

In Malibu, Gibson was tightlipped on the topic of bin Laden's recommendations, but issued the following statement through an official spokesman: "Mel Gibson is not now nor has he ever been anti-Semitic, and is looking forward to putting this incident behind him so he can get to work on his next film, 'Lethal Rabbi.'"

Elsewhere, a new scientific study says that it may be possible for human beings to become invisible, particularly if they are the Secretary of Defense.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14136085/

 

[Imzadi]

I love the Andy Borowitz satire article:

The Al Qaeda leader calls the actor's drunken rant 'a cry for help'.

"Listen, I'm all for blaming things on the Jews,” said bin Laden, “but this guy went too far."

Oh the Al Qaeda leader is just miffed because when Mel said "The Jews are responsible for ALL the wars in the world," it took away credit from the wars the Al Qaeda had a hand in.

 

[Saxsoon]

We know his father never believed the Holocaust ever took place, but Mel has repeatedly stated he does not agree with his father.

I don't know. I think perhaps he took a lot of backlash after making the Passion of the Christ, much of that came from the Jewish communities. Maybe his statements aren't so much that he's anti-Semite, but rather, he's holding a grudge that he's never had the opportunity to tell his side of the story? I don't know.

I'm not going to hold something against him that was said when he was so obviously intoxicated. I've been there a time or two myself and I would appreciate the same courtesy if I ever put my foot in my mouth while in that state.

He's apologized (as he should have) and unless I hear something more substantial that this wasn't just from his condition at the time, I'll change my mind. Till then, I won't be joining any boycott.

I am sorry to hear that he's still drinking though. I thought he was doing much better.

That is an interesting thought. Is it possible for a grudge like that turn into the comments he stated if he were bipolar and drunk? I am holding him at benefit of the doubt as of now.

 

[Skywalker]

I'm not going to hold something against him that was said when he was so obviously intoxicated. I've been there a time or two myself and I would appreciate the same courtesy if I ever put my foot in my mouth while in that state.

Just wanted to say I agree with this.

God forbid we should all be forever judged on the worst things we ever said and did while drunk.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Well, it just goes to show you that alcohol is not a setitive!

 

[MorganLeFey]

If the apology is just words, so were the things he said earlier.

I certainly don't like the guy, or what he said, but these demands on what he must do are out of line IMO.

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me: is one of the cruelest lies we teach our children.

the words he said were hurtful. not only were they painful to hear...but the words he chose are the same words Hitler used to incite the Holocaust...that were said during the pogroms in Russia...that were repeated in medieval times just before massacres in the Jewish ghettos...that Ferdinand and Isabella used to expel the Jews from Spain...and that are repeated in the Arab world today to justify the killing of Jews. ever hear of the 19th century foregery "the Protocols of the Elders of Zion"?

not that Gibson had any intent to follow up with deeds of that sort. but the words were insensitive (to say the least) because they conjure up the images ... you know, like the one we saw in the news over the weekend, of the Muslim-American who shot up the Jewish community center in Seattle because he "hates Israel". scary stuff.

I don't believe that Gibson appreciates the hurtful nature of his vitriol, and that he might learn something by visiting the concentration camps and the Holocaust memoiral at Yad Vashem.

 

[cardaway]

not that Gibson had any intent to follow up with deeds of that sort.

Exactly. End of story.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

Of course the man apologized -- there were a whole bunch of Mel handlers who said to him that he had to do that in order to save his career. To not apologize would have been foolhardy on his part.

And of course he is going into rehab. Going into rehab makes a celebrity look better to the public and probably helps him get into less trouble.

I had long heard that he was an anti-semite and at this point the camel's back is broken for me.

 

[MorganLeFey]

Exactly. End of story.

wrong, wrong. wrong.


next month, when my family goes to High Holy Day services, a local police officer will be stationed on the corner outside our synagogue. his presence will be needed, in part because of that lunatic in Seattle. it is a real, palpable fear we experience when we hear the vitriol that came from gibson's mouth. he's an insensitive clod to have made the statements he did. he needs sensitivity training.